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Seanad
‹ An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh

Summary

Senator Gavan denounced Azerbaijan’s conduct in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and objected to a former Member seeking to represent Azerbaijan. The Cathaoirleach endorsed raising those concerns directly with the regime, and Senator Gavan thanked him.

I want to raise an issue which I must admit is very close to my heart. I have done two reports on the horrific conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. I have visited both countries. I was not allowed to visit Azerbaijan earlier this summer. It did not want anyone to go and see what was happening in Nagorno-Karabakh. I wish to express my horror that a former Member of this House presented himself with the Azerbaijan delegation last week and announced that he wants to be the consul for Azerbaijan. I can tell the Deputy Leader first hand, because I have the videos on my phone, that when those 100,000 people were ethnically cleansed in the past fortnight, there were dead Armenian civilians with their ears cut off and decapitated so these people could use trophies on social media. Children have been murdered. They are the most horrific actions on a par with anything we have seen, for example, in the war of Russia and Ukraine. A total of 100,000 people were ethnically cleansed and a former Member of this House who was here until around the last term is now championing that regime. I know how Azerbaijan works, and while they are very generous people, this is a regime that is not democratic. It executes and imprisons opponents. The former Member happens to be a Fianna Fáil member - I will not name him out of respect for the House, but everyone knows who it is - and this is what he is doing.

I must ask, in all conscience, can we do something collectively? If we do not stand up in relation to this issue, we are all to blame. I could not share those videos. They are just too horrific. I know first hand, however, from people from the region I have got to know over the two or three years I have been working on this issue the horrors inflicted on the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. I ask everyone to speak out in relation to this. It cannot be acceptable that a former Member of this House can now parade himself - prostitute himself - in relation to a regime like this. This goes above and beyond party politics. I find it hard to talk about this because when you speak, as I have, to people whose loved ones have been murdered in that way, it is incredibly emotional. I cannot express the horror in relation to what this former Member of the House is doing. I hope, on this occasion, that we can all agree and make a call that it is entirely unacceptable and brings all of us into disrepute. We should condemn that former Member of the House unreservedly and stand by the people of Armenia, just as we have stood by the people of Ukraine and elsewhere.

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Jerry Buttimer An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

It is also an opportunity for us to engage with that person to outline the views Senator Gavan articulated and to press the case that he is making. We have an avenue that we should not be afraid to use. To be fair, Senator Gavan has raised points. I have spoken to representatives of that regime and impressed upon them the need to live up to their responsibilities. The point Senator Gavan made was well said. We could all use his presence to articulate and advocate and be champions of the causes Senator Gavan outlined.

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That is a great suggestion. I thank the Cathaoirleach.

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